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2) READER FEEDBACK
From Nigeria and Kenya come reader reactions to recent malaria postings.
Chioma Amajoh points to the need for country level entomological expertise, without which the national malaria programme does not know when and where insecticide resistance will rear its ugly head.
Augustine Ngindu asks the question of when and where the joint application of IRS and LLINs is indicated.
Good reading.
BD
FROM NIGERIA
Dear Robert,
Thanks for your mail. I am delighted that you pointed out that apart from 80%coverage and use, effective vector monitoring is also key for malaria elimination.
The issue of Country Access to Susceptibility/Bioassay Test kits and Capacity Development for effective deployment of the Tests must be addressed now in the various endemic countries.
Regards,
Chioma Amajoh,
Head, IVM Branch, NMCP, FMOH,
Coordinator, National LLIN Campaign, Nigeria
FROM KENYA
Hi Robert
It is good to share such information. The debate on use of combined ITN and IRS needs to be viewed from two perspectives i.e. whether the intervention is used as a mitigation measure for malaria epidemics or whether it is used as a malaria control measure using IRS. Using data from some malaria epidemiological zones with multiple vectors, it becomes clear that both interventions give values that are suggestive of complementarity in reducing vectorial capacities up to level < 0.5 when extrapolations with mathematical modeling are done. The values are different in different malaria epidemiological zones and where only one vector is involved. The studies would be very useful if they could be guided by these factors otherwise they may appear true in one scenario but that may not be the case in a different area.
Augustine Ngindu
NPO/Malaria, WHO Kenya
ACK Garden House
1st Ngong Avenue, Off Bishops road
P.O. Box 45335-00100
Nairobi, Kenya